Former employees say 'toxic work environment' of N.S. mental health non-profit led to sudden closure

Former employees of a Nova Scotia drop-in centre for youth with mental illness say a "toxic work environment" caused their own mental health to suffer, and ultimately led the organization to close. 

Laing House, a non-profit providing support to people aged 16 to 29, shuttered its Yarmouth location in March and closed its doors in Halifax in August. The organization calls it a temporary closure, but won't say when it will reopen. 

Colin Bullard, who worked for Laing House for more than three years, said this occurred just as complaints from staff were mounting. 

"It was a very toxic work environment," Bullard said. "There was a lot of gossiping, a lot of back biting, a lot of dishonesty from the director. And what resulted ... was a very tense and very stressful work environment."

Bullard said when he and about 14 other staff members couldn't take it anymore, they came together and filed "a wave of complaints" with their union, the Nova Scotia Government Employees Union (NSGEU).

Sandra Mullen, president of the NSGEU, said "multiple" complaints were made under the employer's respectful workplace policy. She said at the organization's peak, it had around 20 staff, but it was down to a handful when it closed. 

She said the union was in the midst of working through the issues with the employer, and was surprised by the closure.  

"To temporarily close that facility and lay folks off, I don't believe [that] was the right way to proceed," Mullen said. 

CBC News also spoke to other former staff members who had similar complaints to Bullard. 

Laing House says it is reflecting on its model

In an email, the chairperson of the Laing House Association declined an interview request and said the organization will reveal its reopening date "very soon."

"We are now taking the opportunity to reflect on our model, undertake some strategic planning and hire a new executive director," wrote Jane Machum. 

Machum did not address the allegations of former employees. CBC News did not receive a response from the organization's former executive director, who has since left the position. 

A notice about the temporary closure posted to the organization's website in August said it has been serving the community for more than 20 years, positively influencing the lives of hundreds of youth. 

"Also during this time, we have seen the needs of our Laing House community grow and change," the notice reads. "We now need to take some time to reflect, research and strategize how best to serve our dynamic community."

The non-profit's audited financial statements show in 2023 its revenue included $425,063 from donations and grants and $237,441 from special events and fundraising.

The provincial Office of Addictions and Mental Health said over the last few years, it has provided $406,000 in annual operating funding to Laing House to support its locations in Halifax and Yarmouth.

Closure 'made the world stop' for members

Kelsey Doucette started going to Laing House in Yarmouth in 2018, seeking help with her anxiety and other mental health struggles. 

"It was hard to be anywhere alone, which caused me a lot of trouble with eating and different things like that," Doucette said. "There's been a few periods where it's been really hard, and having Laing House there made a big difference."

She said members could tell the organization was going through some internal issues, but the closure was a shock. 

"It kind of made the world stop for a second," Doucette said.

CBC News also heard from other members who said the drop-in centre positively impacted their lives, and its loss has left a large gap since there's no other organization quite like it. 

Mullen echoed this, saying the union has written to government officials, asking them to intervene.

"We have serious concerns about the lack of services provided to the clientele and the folks in the community who relied on the services provided by Laing House," she said. 

In an email, a spokesperson said the Office of Addictions and Mental Health is aware of the closure, and listed other supports available to youth in Nova Scotia, including the SchoolsPlus program, multiple phone and virtual counselling and support services, and one free session of counselling through a service called Access Wellness. 

Bullard said he and other staff often think about the 80 youth who were members of Laing House in Halifax.

"It's a devastating blow, I think to the mental health community as a whole that such a beacon of light like Laing House is no longer operating," he said.

"I'm not sure how they're doing, but I just hope that they get the help they need."